For months, Sung Kang—best known as Han from the Fast & Furious films—has been promoting his upcoming movie ‘DRIFTER‘ at major car shows worldwide. After appearances at Tokyo Auto Salon in January and the Chicago Auto Show in February, it was announced midway through the Canadian International Auto Show that he would appear in Toronto from Wednesday to Friday. To outsiders, Sung Kang’s appearance may have seemed like a last-minute addition, but the visit was the result of weeks of planning by the people at PASMAG (Performance Auto & Sound Magazine) to make it happen.
PASMAG hosted Sung Kang in their booth for a full day of media interviews, then coordinated a meet-and-greet with the actor in Toyota’s cavernous booth. Originally limited to 100 wristbands for the meet-and-greet, the event was expanded to accommodate several hundred fans. With support from Kang, his ‘DRIFTER‘ team, and PASMAG staff, every gearhead left satisfied.
Did the length of the lineup at the Toyota booth mean organizers underestimated the actor’s popularity? After all ‘Fast & Furious’ is one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, and Sung Kang’s character of Han is a beloved member of the Fast Family—famously brought back from the dead. Nope! Organizers knew exactly what to expect; they were simply saving the best for last.
On Thursday, it was announced that on his final day at the show, Kang—and his Toyota AE86 hero car from ‘DRIFTER‘—would appear on stage in the John Bassett Theatre, the cavernous venue typically used for Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame inductions. The 1,000-seat theatre would also host a special seven-minute sneak peek of the opening scene from ‘DRIFTER‘ ahead of the film’s theatrical release later this year.
The movie ‘DRIFTER‘ was written, directed and stars Sung Kang. He’s described it as a passion-project, and ‘a love letter to car culture‘. Based on the size of the crowds that turned out to meet Sung Kang at the auto show, gearheads get what he’s saying.
It’s been two years since ‘Fast X‘ and some fans have expressed disappointment with the big-budget, action spectacle of recent films in the series. With the next installment in the F&F franchise still two years away, Sung Kang’s movie ‘DRIFTER’ may just fit right into a sweet spot.
Fans are hungry for a return to car cinema with more realistic depictions of the culture. And unlike the superheroes in the F&F movies, the characters in ‘DRIFTER’ seem entirely human. People can relate to a story like ‘DRIFTER’. And if the size of the crowds that gathered to meet Sung Kang at the Canadian International Auto Show are any indication ‘DRIFTER’ may be the hit movie of the summer.
(NOTE: article revised on 02/27/2026)